Driving in Wet Weather Requires Calm and Alterness

With all of the rain and soggy weather we've had in the Boston area lately, it's easy to forget some of the basics you need to get you through the day successfully and with your car in good shape.

First, realize that you are not the only one out there that's probably cold, wet and miserable. You are probably surrounded by drivers who are feeling just a grungy as you are, possibly worse, which makes the potential for irritated driving (nicer than road rage) much higher. Indeed, unless you're in the "Land That Time Forgot," to swipe a phrase from an old B-reel movie, the least little incident might just set you off so the first thing to remember here is: relax-breathe deeply - and relax again.

Relax, Destress

After that, the rest is a piece of cake because you find your stress level begins to drop - according to a Sudbury, MA Town Public Health Nurse who gave us this advice - and you can begin to think straight again.

Once you're thinking straight again, you probably realize that with all of the wet weather, it's a good idea to slow down. That's the truth, and comes from authorities like the National Safety Council and American Automobile Assn. When you speed an interesting phenomenon happens your tires first begin to push water up and out of the way through their tread design. However, after a time, if the rain is heavy enough, the tread pattern is overwhelmed and your tires then begin to be surrounded by an independent doughnut of water.

Hydroplaning

The water doughnut that has filled in all the tread interacts with the road surface so that your car begins to ride on two different cushions of water, each pushing back at the other. The result is that your car is literally riding on the water (okay, it's that time of year, it's walking on the water) and while your car is traveling straight ahead everything should be fine. It's when you leave or try to leave that straight path your car begins to hydroplane because you are riding on cushions of water and one layer of water slides against the water on the road and it can lead to sliding and skidding.

The way to control this is simply slow down until you feel your wheels bite again and you are able to steer again.

Standing Water

That's one problem you face in this weather. Another is the fact that it's difficult to tell just how deep standing water on a roadway might be. Is it six inches deep or is it six feet deep? You just can't judge the depth that entire well.

The result is to watch out for road closure signs and not blow right by them, believing you might know more than the Department of Public Works whose experts are the ones who placed the warning signs there in the first place.

Indeed, locally today - during a heavy spell of rain - we saw a sign flashing that a road was open when on other days the same sign said it was closed due to deep water. You have to pay attention to the water and signs placed there to warn you about them.

Drying Your Brakes

Then, what happens if you go through a deep puddle a tad too quickly - making it before your vehicle stalls out - and your car's brakes get wet, how do you handle drying them out. According to some older information from the AAA, the best way to dry your brakes is to drive with one foot on the gas and the other on the brakes. This will create enough heat to dry out the brakes and given them back their gripping power.

Of more importance, though, is this: did any water get into the exhaust system? If it only reached the tailpipe and maybe the first resonator, you are in good shape because the heat from your car's exhaust system will dry things out quickly, auto experts have noted.

Water Problems

If the water has raised any higher, according to information supplied by AAA, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and others, then you're probably looking at a new vehicle or at least swapping the vehicle. Indeed, one technician we have talked with at a local Audi dealership, noted that tainted water or sludge-filled water can get up into places it was never meant to be and leave deposits on your brakes calipers and rotors and you may also find mud and other gunk accumulating in your catalyst, not exactly a small replacement cost. Why might you have to pay for the replacement of this piece of the exhaust system? The reason is simply because they can show that you knowingly drove through a place where you should have practiced caution.

However, if your car is covered with water while parked in your yard, then you'll find your insurance will pay for it.

In the final analysis, in wet weather your best bet is to slow down; watch for standing water and stay away from water whose depth you can't determine.